16 Great Bike Routes That Are Begging for a Road Trip

Plan a spring or summer bike tour on these stunning, historic routes.

By
Jenny McCoy

Feb 1, 2019

Max NathanGetty Images

This winter may have brought a big chill, but it isn’t too early to begin planning your next bike trip. If you’re tired of pedaling the same old loops, however, breathe some new life into your routine by changing up the location: There are tons of bike routes across the country just waiting for a visit. Some may be found right in your own backyard, while others are likely just a short trip away.

These 16 routes will take you through everything from urban downtowns to beach terrain, leading you up mountain bike courses and across historic bridges. Their distances and difficulties vary, but each offers an unforgettable riding experience.

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East Coast Greenway

Drew Angerer / StaffGetty Images

Location: Florida to Maine

Why you should ride it: This newly mapped network of roads and trail systems spans nearly 3,000 miles from Key West, Florida, to Canada, charting through 15 states and 450 cities and towns, making it the country’s longest biking and walking route.

Currently, more than 33 percent of the route runs on car-free paths, and the remaining distance hits the safest on-road route between those paths, with continued expansions the works. One popular car-free section is the Hudson River Greenway in New York City, a 11-mile, two-lane path that lines the West Side of Manhattan along the Hudson River with panoramic views of the skyline, the Statue of Liberty, and the George Washington Bridge.

You’ll also love the 30-mile Schuylkill River Trail in Pennsylvania, which charts from downtown Philadelphia through Valley Forge National Historical Park.

Golden Gate Park

Max NathanGetty Images

Location: San Francisco

Why you should ride it: This verdant, sprawling park through the heart of San Francisco features a paved bike trail that passes by popular cultural highlights, including the de Young Museum, the Conservatory of Flowers, and the Japanese Tea Garden. One tip? Ride on Sundays, when the main entrance is closed to cars.

There’s also a hidden gem right in the middle of the park: the historic Polo Field Cycle Track, reserved every day of the week just for bikes. It’s the perfect spot to practice pace lines, sprint lead outs, and race efforts, says pro racer Jennifer Tetrick. “I also use it for easy spin days and interval days.”

At the southern end the park, cyclists can continue pedaling on the Great Highway Bike Path for unsullied views of Ocean Beach, plus access to the San Francisco Zoo.

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Towpath

The Washington Post / ContributorGetty Images

Location: Washington, D.C., to Cumberland, Maryland

Why you should ride it: This 184.5-mile trail, located entirely within the C&O Canal National Historic Park, stretches from Washington, D.C., to Cumberland, Maryland, through the Potomac River Valley. Keep in mind that the path—primarily made of crushed stone, dirt, and gravel—is unpaved, so prepare for bumpy portions once you leave the D.C. area.

For a paved detour, keep an eye out in Georgetown, D.C., for the towpath’s intersection with Rock Creek Park Trail, a 3-mile path through the oldest and largest urban park in the National Park System. Most of the Parkway is car-free on weekends.

Chicago Lakefront Path

Jochen Tinn / EyeEmGetty Images

Location: Chicago

Why you should ride it: This 18.5-mile car-free paved path skirts the shores of Lake Michigan, offering unadulterated vistas of both the cityscape and the water. Start up north in Edgewater and pedal south through 13 different neighborhoods, including historic Uptown, Bronzeville, and Hyde Park. You’ll also pass four large, lush public parks—Lincoln Park, Grant Park, Burnham Park, and Jackson Park—before ending on Chicago’s South Side near the South Shore Cultural Center, a landmark community hub.

Don’t have your own wheels? Rent from Divvy, Chicago’s city bike share program, which has more than 20 stations along the route.

Going-to-the-Sun Road

Anna GorinGetty Images

Location: Glacier National Park, Montana

Why you should ride it: Nestled in the Rocky Mountains, this 50-mile, two-lane road stretches the width of Glacier National Park, intersecting the Continental Divide. The surrounding terrain—think big glacial lakes, cedar forests, and alpine tundra—is as varied as it is stunning, and multiple pull-offs along the road allow cyclists to enjoy panoramic views of wild country.

You’ll share the road with both cars and wildlife—the National Park Service reports that mountain goats and bighorn sheep are often observed near Logan Pass (elevation: 6,646-feet)—so it’s best to tackle this ride in good weather. In Glacier, that typically means June through early fall.

Row River Trail

Bureau of Land ManagementFlickr

Location: Cottage Grove, Oregon

Why you should ride it: Head about 30 miles south of Eugene for this paved, 16.2-mile multi-use trail. You’ll pass by three historic covered bridges and the shores of Row River and Dorena Lake as you chart the path of the now-defunct Oregon Pacific & Eastern Railroad line. Stop at one (or more) of the four trailheads near Dorena to soak in views of the water and surrounding farm country.

Tip: Visit in spring, and you may catch an explosion of wildflowers at Row Point, located about 7 miles from the main trailhead.

The Strand

Jay L. ClendeninGetty Images

Location: Los Angeles

Why you should ride it: Officially known as the Marvin Braude Bike Trail (though referred to as “The Strand” by locals), this 22-mile paved path skirts the Pacific shoreline. It begins beneath multimillion-dollar cliffside houses in L.A.’s Pacific Palisades neighborhood and continues southbound through Santa Monica State Beach, home of the iconic Santa Monica Pier. Park your wheels here to ride the roller coaster, carousel, or ferris wheel, and then refuel at one of the local farmers markets.

From there, continue on through Venice, Manhattan Beach (where you will likely catch a game of volleyball), and Hermosa Beach before finishing in Torrance. To beat the crowds, aim for a midweek ride.

Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes

Bicycling

Location: Mullan, Idaho, to Plummer, Idaho

Why you should ride it: This winding, 72-mile car-free route, accessible from 20 developed trailheads, crosses the Idaho Panhandle. You’ll begin on a smooth asphalt path in historic Silver Valley and continue along the Coeur d’Alene River, over the century-old Chatcolet Bridge, past the sparkling Lake Coeur d'Alene, through rolling farmlands, and alongside forested mountains.

Pack an in-ride picnic for the journey—there are 17 scenic waysides along the path where you can pull off, refuel, and soak in the views. Forgot your provisions? Stop in tiny valley towns, like Cataldo and Kellogg, for local grub and comfort food.

Garden of the Gods

milehightravelerGetty Images

Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado

Why you should ride it: Garden of the Gods is a registered National Natural Landmark and a free, 1,367-acre public park on the western edge of Colorado Springs. Its red, pink, and white sandstone rock formations, which are over 300 feet tall, combine with its stunning views of Pikes Peak, paved roads, and wide bike lanes, to make it a road bike dream.

The park has multiple loops ranging in mileage. If you start from the visitor center entrance on the east side, you can pedal the 2.5-mile inner loop around many of the park’s most jaw-dropping rock formations. For an extension of the inner loop—about 6 miles total—follow signs for Balancing Rock and the Trading Post. Once you arrive at the Trading Post, the road will connect again with the inner loop.

Underground Railroad Bicycle Route

Jeff GreenbergGetty Images

Location: Mobile, Alabama, to Owen Sound, Ontario (Canada)

Why you should ride it: Traveling from the Deep South to Canada, this 2,007-mile route, founded in 2007 by the Adventure Cycling Association, traverses roughly the same ground that slaves covered on their journey to freedom in pre-Civil War America.

You’ll pass historic sites and points of interest as you travel north along waterways in Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Kentucky before transitioning onto paved rail trails in rural Ohio. From there, ride along Lake Erie through Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York before finishing the trek in Canada with a memory-making ride past Niagara Falls on the Niagara River Recreation Trail.

Sacramento River National Recreation Trail

Visit Redding

Location: Redding, California

Why you should ride it: This 17.4-mile paved multipurpose trail in Northern California features several large-scale highlights, including the Sundial Bridge, a 217-foot tall structure that spans 710 feet across a salmon-spawning river. It also doubles as one of the largest sundials in the world.

In the spring months, the water turns a deep, glacial blue from snow melt in the nearby Trinity Mountains. Enjoy these vibrant colors as you pedal past the Shasta Dam, which forms the largest reservoir in California and is one of the largest dams in the U.S.

Note: The trail closed in the fall of 2017 during the California wildfires. However, the federal Bureau of Land Management began reopening parts of the trail late last summer.

Great Divide Mountain Bike Route

George Rose / ContributorGetty Images

Location: Alberta, Canada to Antelope Wells, New Mexico

Why you should ride it: These epic 3,083 miles, making up the longest off-pavement route in the world, crisscross the Continental Divide and offer more than 200,000 feet of elevation gain.

While riding primarily on dirt roads and mountain passes, you may see an array of wildlife—think bears, deer, wild horses, pronghorn antelope, eagles, osprey, and sandhill cranes. The route also charts directly through or otherwise skirts several of the most popular National Parks, including Glacier in Montana and Yellowstone and Grand Teton in Wyoming. Because of snow, it’s best tackled in the summer or early fall months.

Trail Ridge Road

Michael Reaves / ContributorGetty Images

Location: Estes Park, Colorado, to Grand Lake, Colorado

Why you should ride it: This paved highway crosses Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park from east to west, and traversing the 48-mile point-to-point path on two wheels isn’t easy. Elevations range from 7,800-12,183 feet, with 11 miles above the treeline.

Per the National Park Service, “road shoulders are narrow, guardrails are few, and some drop-offs are steep.” The rewarding vistas, though, are surreal. In addition to 360-degree views of the Rockies, you’ll pass waterfalls, thick pine forests, and mountain lakes. You may even see elk and moose that live in the surrounding hills.

The road is officially open to cyclists between April 1 and November 30, but it’s best tackled in the summer and early fall months when it’s regularly patrolled, cleaned, and—typically, but not always—snow-free.

Katy Trail

Dave Herholz via FlickrFlickr

Location: Machens, Missouri, to Clinton, Missouri

Why you should ride it: This 237-mile route, which forms America’s longest rail trail, runs nearly the entire width of Missouri. It’s a flat, fast, and scenic journey on primarily crushed limestone paths that will take you through idyllic farmlands and small towns.

More than half of the trail follows a portion of Lewis and Clark's historic route up the Missouri River, where you’ll pedal past towering bluffs and may even glimpse eagles soaring overhead. There are also dedicated stations along the rail trail portion (at the sites of former train stops) that offer cycling resources and free camping.

Ohio and Erie Towpath Trail

Tom Bower via FlickrFlickr

Location: Cleveland to Bolivar, Ohio

Why you should ride it: Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, this 85-mile multipurpose path, developed by the National Park Service, is the main artery through Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

It has 49 total trailheads—including 11 within the park—and continues north and south beyond park borders, following the historic route of the 19th-century Ohio and Erie Canal. Ride past sprawling forests, fields, and wetlands that flank the path as it meanders through the Cuyahoga River Valley and five different preserves in the National Heritage Area.

Arkansas River Trail System

North Little Rock Parks and Recreation

Location: Little Rock, Arkansas

Why you should ride it: Experience the geographic diversity of Central Arkansas on this mostly flat, 88.5-mile loop that weaves through Little Rock, North Little Rock, and other surrounding counties on paved trails, bike lanes, and rural roads. Pedal the entire distance and you’ll pass 38 parks, four major bridges, 12 museums, and 5,000-plus acres of federal, state, and local parkland.

Keep your eyes peeled for birds—more than 200 species can be seen along the trails and waterways, including bald eagles, American white pelicans, and great blue herons.

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